1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching device and particularly, to a switching device which can reliably return to the initial state.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a transmission of an automobile, in the related art, there are many transmissions of a lever type or a paddle type operation manner. However, in recent years, use of a transmission of a button type operation manner has begun to increase. In a switching device which is used as a button of the transmission of a button type operation manner, a switching device is often adopted in which it is possible to switch an electrical connection by pressing a button from a direction perpendicular to a substrate provided inside. Gear shifting is performed by switching the electrical connection of the switching device. However, if a force to press the button is applied perpendicularly to the substrate, the substrate is bent, and thus a problem such as a component provided in the periphery falling off or a disposition position being shifted is of concern. For this reason, a structure is often used in which if the button is pressed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, a component different from the button is moved in a direction along the substrate surface and switching of an electrical connection is performed. In such a switching device, a direction conversion mechanism of an engine starting device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-245680 is often used.
Hereinafter, the direction conversion mechanism described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-245680 will be described using FIGS. 17 and 18. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a direction conversion mechanism 900 used in a lever device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-245680. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration in a case where the direction conversion mechanism 900 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-245680 has been operated.
The engine starting device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-245680 has a cylinder 906, an operation knob 908, an ignition switch 907, a return spring 922, a lock knob 930, and a biasing spring 929. In addition, the engine starting device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-245680 can start an engine by making the operation knob 908 and the ignition switch 907 engage each other and operating the ignition switch 907. The cylinder 906 has a main body section 906b formed in a cylindrical shape, and an accommodation chamber 906a provided so as to protrude outward from the main body section 906b. The operation knob 908 and the ignition switch 907 are accommodated in the main body section 906b in a state where the return spring 922 is disposed therebetween, and thus the operation knob 908 and the ignition switch 907 are biased in a direction away from each other.
The lock knob 930 is accommodated in the accommodation chamber 906a and is biased by the biasing spring 929, thereby protruding between the operation knob 908 and the ignition switch 907 in the main body section 906b. The lock knob 930 is movable in a direction against the biasing force of the biasing spring 929. However, usually, the lock knob 930 is locked by the magnetic force of a built-in electromagnet 933. For this reason, even if an attempt to move the operation knob 908 in a direction against the biasing force of the return spring 922 is made in order to start an engine, the operation knob 908 is blocked by the lock knob 930, and thus it is not possible to start the engine. If the energization of the electromagnet 933 is released, the lock knob 930 becomes movable in a direction against the biasing force of the biasing spring 929. In this state, if the operation knob 908 is moved in a direction against the biasing force of the return spring 922, the operation knob 908 comes into contact with an inclined surface portion 930a provided in the lock knob 930, and thus the lock knob 930 moves in a direction against the biasing force of the biasing spring 929. The lock knob 930 moves in this manner, whereby the operation knob 908 and the ignition switch 907 are engaged with each other, and thus it is possible to operate the ignition switch 907. In addition, a mechanism to move the operation knob 908, thereby bringing the operation knob 908 into contact with the inclined surface portion 930a provided in the lock knob 930 and moving the lock knob 930 in a direction different from a moving direction of the operation knob 908 is regarded as the direction conversion mechanism 900.
The direction conversion mechanism 900 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-245680 is used for a switching device, whereby a problem of concern such as a component provided in the periphery falling off or a disposition position being shifted due to the substrate being bent by a force to press the button is solved.
However, in the direction conversion mechanism 900 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-245680, when the engagement of the operation knob 908 and the ignition switch 907 is released, a case is assumed in which only the operation knob 908 returns to the initial position and the lock knob 930 cannot return to the initial position due to some trouble. If such a phenomenon occurs in a switching device using the direction conversion mechanism 900, even though it is the initial position in appearance, there is no any change even if an operation is made, and thus there is a risk of causing confusion to an operator.